Pot, Weed, Mary Jane, Ganja, Marijuana, or Cannabis. Whatever you call it, this plant is as popular now as it has been in the last 70 years. Not even the hippies liked this plant as it appears Americans in general do today.

I would like to think that the common day approval for marijuana in general but especially medicinal uses is because of social media. While it might not be as revolutionary as the Arab Spring, the time will come soon where this little plant becomes a much more common part of your doctors arsenal to treat whatever ails you. Science continues to show this. But regardless of what science keeps telling us, our government refuses to pay attention. This is in spite of them stating that science is what should be in control of our health issues. Mr. Kerlikowske is for another day though. Today is about the ways in which marijuana can actually help the economy. So here are just a few of the reasons for starters of why I write about topics that may seem so ‘out there’.

This link shows that certain chemicals found inside of cannabis can actually Kill Breast Cancer in a process called autophagy. Now, while this may be an isolated study, similar instances can be found across the internet. My favorite place to look just happens to be on our own governments websites ! Here are just a few more examples of the kind of information that can be found on the PubMed.gov servers.

So how can this impact the economy in a way that makes enough of a dent into the national debt that it actually matters? This is how.

The first thing that people will realize is the (re)creation of jobs that this administration has ruined. See, 17 states + DC have some form of marijuana laws on the books to help the citizens even though marijuana remains illegal federally. So if the government were to remove the restrictions that are currently in place, on day 1 you will see TENS of THOUSANDS of jobs created. These jobs come in so many forms so I am just going to give you a few types of employment that gets created. We have the individuals that sell seeds. Then we have those that sell the products needed to grow the seeds, (i.e. fertalizer, containers, lights, security, etc..) The growers themselves will need to hire help in order to help with harvest, trimming, selling, transporting, etc.

So now we have a lot of jobs that get created on day 1 of legalization. But it doesn’t stop there. This is just the beginning !

Now that cannabis would have been legalized and therefore would no longer be a crime to possess, consume, etc.the true potential of this plant can be released. See, not only do we create ‘weed jobs’, but we put other jobs to better use. Our law enforcement will be freed up to go after criminals that actually commit true crimes that have real victims. Just imagine if police and other law enforcement could solve 90%+ of rape cases, murder cases. Living in a world where sex predators stay in jail for full terms, instead of being released early to make room for the drug users. The person living in that cell should have done something so terrible that I would want my tax money to keep them from society. Planting a seed should not take priority over sex crimes, abuse, theft, murder, etc.

So now that we have the jobs, and the police working on the important topics, how else can we benefit the economy. Simple, Medicine ! Once people are able to use marijuana as medicine without fear of persecution, then we can start to see the improvements in lives that everyone claims. What this does is one amazing thing. It makes people healthy. While not everyone will use marijuana as medicine, and not all of those that do will be healed, there will no doubt be a group of people who see relief in ways they never could have imagined.

Now what if some of those people, were getting assistance from the government because of their health. Maybe they have some debilitating disease that has them on Medicare or Medicaid. Maybe even other programs out there that offer assistance to those individuals who struggle with certain health issues. By now having the option of treating with marijuana, these people are potentially treating themselves right back into jobs. So by doing so, they are not only stopping their reliance on government assistance, but they are then going back to work creating more payroll taxes, and all the other financial benefits that our economy sees with 1 more person behind the counter of your favorite store.

So here we are. New ‘pot jobs’ created again after being devastated by President Obama. Reallocation of jobs to focus manpower on serious crimes. And a population that now relies on the government just a little less. Are there more ways this plant can help the economy ? Of course. In fact, there was a recent report that just came out that shows one of the chemicals in marijuana can actually help people with opioid addiction by not allowing them the reward of the drug. Such amazing things…. but TALK and KEEP TALKING and DO if you can or else change will never happen.

2 thoughts on “Can Marijuana Help the Economy”

I am from that country where a Coffee Shop sign equals Cannabis Coffee Shop (without fail). It was legalised eons ago, just like prostitution. What difference has this made? None whatsoever, I reckon, except that people can smoke weed in the open and visit prostitutes legally. Before that, either of these was practised anyway! These days, according to a Dutch weed-website, you won’t get in trouble with the law if they catch 5 grams of Cannabis on you or 4 hennaplants. They will probably confiscate it though.

Questions that came up when I read your post was: Will it make any difference if marihuana is legalised in the US? Will consumption increase?

I lived in N. America for eight years and have never met so many people who smoked weed (at home or even outdoors – heck I smelled it on a Wharf in Rhode Island during peak season!)

I think one of the issues that will face the pro-marijuana movement when this plant does eventually get legalized, is the fact that people will no longer be afraid to hide their usage from law enforcement. What this will create is a perceived rise in usage. Now, will more people use it… possibly. But on the flip side of the coin, some others will stop using it because the perceived ‘danger’ and ‘rebellion’ of its usage is gone. If people don’t have to fear any form of punishment, then we will start to see true numbers of how many are actually consuming marijuana. As of now, the fear of jail or worse has skewed the numbers so that nobody really know how many in the US are consumers.

Now, do I think that consumption will go up? Yes. Even after the polls show true numbers. Mainly because of the work of some great organizations such as NORML, ASA, even The Silver Tour. More and more people are learning about this plant. Which even if you don’t know much, people like to bring up Sativex or Marinol. To me, this is great. Not because I think that pharmaceutical companies can make a better version, but rather it is helping spread stories. Most people I have spoken with (not of the same mentality as myself) hear about medications such as Marinol and think, ‘There it is. Your pot pill. Be happy’. What they usually fail to realize is that Marinol does not contain all the great Cannabinoids like CBD, etc. that actually help with pain. But this is changing. People are starting to learn about the many benefits of marijuana, not just through the states that are passing legislation, but through those who rely on cannabis to treat their illnesses.